Behind African ‘land grabs’ by US institutions and universities

Shown here is a stretch of farm land near Groblersdal, South Africa. (AP/Denis Farrell)

Worldview | Feb. 06, 2012

Behind African ‘land grabs’ by U.S. institutions and universities

A new report from Human Rights Watch says that Ethiopia is forcibly relocating 70,000 indigenous people from the city of Gambella. The reason? To free up land for foreign investment. The report goes on to argue that actions like this, which move people to areas where they can’t feed themselves, are a sure-fire recipe for large-scale famine.

Today, Worldview delves into land grabs. Entities such as USAID, the World Bank, and major U.S. universities are often the architects behind these land deals, which promise benefits for Africans but can often deliver food insecurity and displacement.

Anuradha Mittal, founder and director of the Oakland Institute, tells Worldview how these deals take place. The institute researches how land grabs force farmers out of their homes and livelihoods in Africa.

To read research reports published by the Oakland Institute, click here.